Performance BMW — September 2017

SEPTEMBER 2017 39

I

n the car modifying sphere, some people

are more visible than others. This is

due in part to their own feelings about

privacy or self-promotion, but also owes

a lot to the snap-ability of their cars and,

yes, their tribe mentality. Today’s modifi ers

hunt in packs, their squad goals clearly set

out on Instagram for all to see, each troop

galvanised by a hashtag. #TeamVossen, for

example – well, you can guess what that’s

all about. Boys and girls who proudly run

Vossen wheels. And within that circle-

fondling enclave, you’ll fi nd ardent fl ag-

waver Felix Kauer.

“It’s a kind of self-expression,” says

Felix, gazing fondly at the brutal M3 that’s

ticking and pinging beside us after a

spirited run down some challenging, twisty

roads. “Some cars are more or less perfect

right from the factory, while others... well,

with others you can be like ‘OK, if it had

this or had that then it’d be perfect’. That’s

why I modify cars. I’m building my dream

car each time. The uniqueness is baked

right in.”

This typifi es a common approach

to BMW’s iconic and aspirational M3.

Ever since the E30 emerged kicking and

screaming from its homologation birth,

enthusiasts have been drawn to these cars’

ineffable sense of purpose; some enjoy the

factory-specced purity, others see them as

a blank canvas for insane horsepower or

feverish weight-saving and track mods, but

most seek simply to augment, to enhance.

To take an excellent base, and just polish

off one or two of the corners. Anathema to

some, but wholly necessary to others.

This sparkling Yas Marina F80 isn’t

actually Felix’s fi rst foray into the shiny

wonders of #TeamVossen. It all began with

a rather different BMW – an F11 530d.

Undeniably a cool car, but there’s a world

of difference between a diesel 5 Series

and an M3. You can see why he made the

PBMW217.f80_m3.ed3.indd 39 07/08/2017 08:29